Potential and Promise
by Hathien Elebriwien
Summary: Everyone sees moments or experiences differently, the only way we know how anyone feels about is when we ask. But what if we can't or are too afraid to ask. Two people share a moment with the world and are prevented from asking what the other thinks.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I thought I'd try my hand at this so please be patient. It's my first time (sharing). _

_This is about Wen and Olivia and how I see them handling a situation. I base my interpretations of the characters on the movie, the book, as well as the things I've learned about both Adam Hicks and Bridgit Mendler since they brought some of themselves to make the characters so alive. This story will be relatively short, one chapter for each, a third one in a surprise perspective and a fourth for the end._

_Disclaimer: I obviously have no copyrights to either the Lemonade Mouth movie or book. Those privileges belong to Disney and Mark Peter Hughs respectively and it's probably a good thing since I couldn't have written anything nearly as well. Adam and Bridgit are their own persons, and the credits can only go to them and their parents. I am a horrible poet and never wrote a song in my life so any music mentioned in this piece will have due credits mentioned in the story as well. If I'm doing something wrong here tell me and I'll fix it. Oh, before I forget, while I do own an Apple iPod (and an iPhone) I don't have the Trademark rights, though my young daughter does own a share of Apple and I make the voting decisions for her. ;-D_

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><p>Olivia felt like an idiot. A foolish, pathetic idiot.<p>

'Naive is a good word, too' she thought ruefully as she sat down in the grass in her backyard, cuddling her adolescent kitten, Daisy. She loved her kitten, a gift and an apology of sorts from her best friend and somewhat secret crush Wen Gifford. But holding Daisy she couldn't help but relive her seemingly titanic and all too recent blunder.

It had been four days since she'd embarrassed herself, Wen, and yes, even the rest of her band, Lemonade Mouth, on national TV. "It's not Mo, it's me." For a moment everyone had gotten the wrong impression from her inept attempt to rescue Mo from dealing with her father. Moxie Morris had asked Mohini about her relationship with Scott Pickett, the second guitarist for the band and Mr. Banjaree had instantly started interrogating his daughter, unmindful of the TV cameras and audience. The hurt and shock on Wen's face as he sat forward to look her in the eye surprised Olivia. Immediately she understood he and everyone else thought she meant she was seeing Scott. At least the ever laid-back and confident Scott had found it amusing.

But Wen didn't immediately agree with her when she stumblingly clarified, "OH! N-n-no! I mean me and Wen. We- we've been dating-ish." Finally he'd taken pity on her after she's floundered her way into silence, calling her 'his girl' and took her hand, but not without mouthing to her "Really, now?" Though, with Stella recovering the attention of Moxie to finish the interview, Olivia, who forced a smile for the camera, wasn't sure anyone else noticed that or the nervous twitching of Wen's leg thru the rest of the chat. He had caught her off guard when he had kissed her hand during the second verse of the song, "Livin' On a High Wire" that they were performing for the show (one of her favorite songs that they'd written together) and pulled her to his side in a tight one armed hug at the end, resting his cheek on her head. After the show when all the autographs had been signed and they'd been free to change and relax for a few minutes, she'd seen him heading in her direction but he'd been sidetracked by Stella and her mom. That had been the last time she'd seen him look at her and in the 4 days since the interview and the band's return home he was the only band member she hadn't seen or spoken to.

Daisy suddenly swatted at Olivia's hand in annoyance and she realized she'd tensed and had rubbed the kitten's head a little too roughly in her humiliated reverie. Olivia groaned and pushed herself onto her back in the grass. She was trying hard not to think about it or take it personally but the best she was hoping for was that her valuable friendship with the boy she adored wasn't ruined. Sighing deeply she fitted her earbuds in her ears and hit the play button on her iPod that she'd brought out in hopes of relaxing. The first strains of Florence + the Machine "Dog Days Are Over" filtered in her ears as she threw her arm over her eyes and tried to lose herself in the music. Against her will, Olivia remembered spending an afternoon discussing the merits of various artists with Wen, another lover of eclectic styles of music. He'd seemed impressed with her favorite playlist choices and she was secretly thrilled that they also had that in common along with their tastes in books and movies.

Olivia had had a crush on Wen since the sixth grade. She'd been thru school with him since they were very young first graders though they'd paid very little attention to each other. She knew she was painfully shy as well as klutzy and socially awkward. She'd never be a voted most popular for the Senior Yearbook, though perhaps 'most likely to hide in a bathroom stall and vomit' would be her superlative title. In sixth grade she hadn't been much different, except the death of her mother and the imprisonment of her father had been much more recent, though the later was not known outside of her home. She lived even more in her own little world back then keeping her head down to avoid harassment. Usually she could make it from one class to another without too many mishaps but one afternoon on her way to last period, she'd tripped over her own two feet in the hall, landing painfully and sent all her books flying. Every student within viewing distance turned and started laughing at her as she'd struggled to collect her things, palms and knees stinging and cheeks burning in humiliation. Everyone laughed that is except Wen Gifford. He had knelt down to help her assemble her things, helped her to her feet, and asked her if she was ok. She'd looked into his gentle, green eyes and in that moment her heart broke. She could only nod mutely at him before she bolted for her next class. Olivia's mouth twitch briefly in mild amusement when she remember that even then he'd been a little taller than most of the other students, his hair a little darker red then instead of its current strawberry blonde but with just as many, slightly darker, freckles. He was a heartbreaker even then, especially for Olivia who was convinced she was invisible to anyone like him.

She distantly registered the song in her ears change to "Dare" by the Gorillaz and the one part of her brain aware if it was relieved that the shuffle feature was keeping the music upbeat while she reminisced about her heart aching teenhood. For four and a half years she had buried the secret crush she'd had for her rescuer. She'd covertly watched him thru downcast lashes all the while knowing he'd never look at her again. When he had started dating other girls, especially their classmate Azra Quimby, she'd forced herself to stop watching, knowing it would only break her further. She'd buried herself in her books, poetry and journals, spending more time with her adoring grandmother and strove to just make it to senior year and graduation without more heartache than she'd already had.

Then at the beginning of junior year, as she'd once recently written to her father, the stars aligned. She found herself in detention after getting caught reading a book in the janitor's closet instead of going to class. They were sequestered for the afternoon in the new basement music room. She arrived a little before anyone else and sat in the front row closest to the door (for a faster escape after she was released) watching from beneath her lashes as the other students made their way in and sat down. Her heart stuttered for a moment when Wen Gifford sauntered in and gazed at her intently though briefly before heading to the opposite side of the room, as far from her as he could get she'd noticed. When Miss Reznick stormed out to vent on Mr. Brenigan the principle, the other kids had begun playing a spontaneous tune. She'd been amused and surprised by the impulsive music but soon found herself unable to be excluded. The prefect words for the melody popped into her head and floated from her lips without thought or effort. In the following days she'd suddenly found herself accepted and quickly developed strong bonds with her new friends.

To her delight Wen soon found excuses to talk with her, often supporting her around the other band members or bullies. She'd been mortified the afternoon he'd shown up on her front porch though, sent by Stella, to collaborate on some songs for the fledgling band. Between her Gram's "I've never met one of Olivia's friends before" and the uncontrollable tears that sprung to her eyes when Wen spotted poor, ancient Nancy, she was sure he'd never glance at her again. Ashamed, she'd tried to hide her tears; her parents and by extension Nancy were the one subject that could bring her to cry. She soon gave up her attempt at self-control in exasperation when they refused to stop. Wen had surprised her by being concerned for her instead of appalled at her show of weakness. Then when by way of distracting him she'd offered to show him the song she'd started, he'd sung with her, his voice blending with hers so that she got goose bumps, leaning closer into her to decipher her scribbles. She couldn't stop herself from studying his face, so close to her own when he looked up, even glancing at his lips, and the freckles that crept over the edge of his lower one. Incoherent thoughts raced through her brain then and she'd forced herself to look away until "I like it when you smile." Obviously the words had escaped him before he could stop himself and he'd flushed a little. She had glanced at him again before dropping her eyes, embarrassed and flattered. Despite the mutual embarrassment of that day, or because of it, Wen had proven to be one of her dearest friends aside from her grandmother. Mo and Stella were fantastic friends, but she found herself sharing things with him that she wouldn't mention to another living soul.

Everything except how much she was attracted to him.

But then, eventually, she hadn't thought she'd needed to tell him. She'd thought that he'd felt the same way. She'd seen him look at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She knew how differently he treated her, how tenderly he touched her sometimes compared to how he hugged Stella and Mohini. He'd even blurted it out that first afternoon here in her own yard, not feet from where she was now. Frequently he had walked her home or called her out of the blue suggesting that they hang out even when they didn't have songs to work on. He'd sometimes even offered to help her with chores or errands when he'd stop by unexpectedly. She had felt it was an excuse to be with her and that they'd had been building something meaningful between them.

Now she wasn't sure. Now she had doubts about how he might have viewed her and the connection she thought they'd forged.

She'd thought she'd known him.

How many times since that day in her backyard had she had to study that handsome face until she knew every freckle, contour, dimple, and facial expression by heart? How much time had she been given to get to know his wit, his mind and his sweet, if sometimes pessimistic, nature since that day? She'd lost count but was thankful for each moment she'd had to get to know her friend. Would she be given the opportunity spend more time with him?

She suddenly realized her iPod's shuffle feature had forsaken her as Michelle Branch's "Goodbye to You" drifted into her ears making her heart and eyes burn with sadness. Olivia found herself singing the lyrics softly,

"_Of all the things I've believed in_

_I just want to get it over with_

_Tears form behind my eyes_

_But I do not cry_

_Counting the days that pass me by_

_I've been searching deep down in my soul_

_Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old_

_It feels like I'm starting all over again_

_The last three years were just pretend_

_And I said,_

_Goodbye to you_

_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew_

_You were the one I loved_

_The one thing that I tried to hold on to_

_The one thing that I tried to hold on to_

_I still get lost in your eyes_

_And it seems that I can't live a day without you_

_Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away_

_To a place where I am blinded by the light_

_But it's not right_

_Goodbye to you_

_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew_

_You were the one I loved…" _

Olivia broke off her singing in frustration. She didn't want to listen to the lyrics anymore, let alone utter them aloud. Wen was likely at home trying to find his own words to let her know he didn't like her any more than as a good friend. She suspected he'd avoid spending any time alone with her, too. At least until he'd found an excuse to stay away altogether. Maybe he'd be gone completely when he found another, a real girlfriend, someone more self-confidence and more outgoing, someone without a troubled family, less awkward, and with many more friends. Her throat burned with unshed tears but her eyes remained dry.

'_And when the stars fall_

_I will lie awake_

_You're my shooting star.' _

"Ugh!" she groaned to herself as she deposited Daisy in a beam of summer sun on the grass and got to her feet. She paced restlessly as she scrolled thru her playlist trying to find something fun and upbeat, something that would make her feel better about herself. She intentionally skipped the songs by her own band. Many of them she had join forces with Wen to create and his touch radiated out at her when she listened to them. She was already rehashing more than she had wanted to. She had meant to be wiping it from her mind, if only temporarily.

Suddenly a grin emerged on her face as the prefect song presented itself. Slowly she started moving to the opening riff, eyes closed enjoying the vibrant sound. By the time the lyrics started she was dancing…


	2. Chapter 2

Wen glanced over his shoulder then shook his head in frustration, moving quickly down the hall for the front door. His dad and step-mom, Sydney, were finally distracted with something in the kitchen allowing him the opportunity to escape his family and the house. He silently turned the knob on the front door swinging it open just enough to slip out then shutting it just as quietly behind himself. Sighing in relief he headed down the street prepared but oddly happy to be facing his "doom". Olivia was going to kill him.

Ok, he knew he was being overly dramatic and that Olivia was about as violent as the kitten, Daisy, he'd given to her. But he knew she was very likely to be beating herself up, self-doubt firmly in control of the sweet girl. He also knew if she was feeling down, he only had himself to blame.

Four days had passed since the interview with Moxie Morris. Four _long_ days since he had confessed feelings for his beautiful friend and the band songbird on national television. Granted, it wouldn't have been his first choice of venues for expressing his affections for her, but her intention when she'd blurted out "It's me and Wen. We've been dating-ish. I guess" was simply to take the focus off Mohini. Unfortunately the petite blonde had completely caught him off guard. He felt terrible first for misunderstanding and jumping to the conclusion that she'd meant she was seeing Scott. Wen was not a violent person, but he would have happily wiped the smirk off Scott's face at that moment. But even when she'd made herself clear and comprehension settling in, he'd been struck dumb until she'd finally stumbled into silent embarrassment and dejection before he could find the words to reassure her, "Oh, no, no, no. YEAH! She- She's my girl." Then he'd reached for her hand, briefly touching her thigh to attract her attention to his out reached palm. He held her hand while he gazed at her as it slowly dawned on him. 'Really? Wow!' He'd mouthed at her. He was happy, though a little nervous with the new phase that seemed to have just started and couldn't stop fidgeting thru the rest of the interview. He was barely aware of anything going on around him except for the slender fingers entwined with his, and the uncertain smile on Olivia's face. He nearly jumped when Stella gripped his shoulder, "Together, making the music we love. Now I think we'd really like to play our new song for you." brought him back to the world outside of himself and Olivia with a bump. Gratefully he had hopped up, happy to be moving but disappointed that he had to release the soft white hand from his own. He had been very aware of every move she made during their performance even as he concentrated, or appeared to, on his keyboard. He'd offered her his hand to help her down from her perch during the second verse of the song and on impulse kissed the back of her hand, the feel of her skin on his lips and the surprise in her warm brown eyes sent butterflies fluttering in his gut. At the end of the song he'd pulled Olivia to his side in a strong hug, overwhelmed by the emotions of the performance as well as excited and nervous about being able to openly touch Olivia as more than a friend.

After everything had seemed settled with the show, he had meant to go talk to her, in private, but Stella and her mom chose that moment to remind him that he had a fan, an aspiring young rapper, that had won a contest to meet him. He had tried to persuade them to give him a couple of minutes, glancing at Olivia over Mrs. Yamada's shoulder. The girl was watching him her expression hard to read but disappointment would have been one emotion he would have bet money on being present in her thoughts. In the end no amount of arguing could dissuade Mrs. Yamada, giving Wen insight to the source of Stella's stubborn streak, and he had spent the rest of the evening playing host to the overly excited preteen. By the time he had fulfilled his obligation and the boy had left with his parents, as well as several signed tee-shirts, hats and two ad-libbed raps about random things, Wen discovered it was nearing midnight and that Olivia had already turned in for the night. The next morning there was a rush to get breakfast and make the trek by van to the airport to arrive in time. A small but annoying platoon of legitimate photographers outside the hotel and an ambush of paparazzi at the airport continued to prevent Wen from saying anything beyond a breathless "Good morning" to Olivia as they moved thru the busy airport. Try as he might to stay by her side he soon found himself separated by luggage, equipment, and the press of bodies boarding their flight home. Even onboard the plane, fate interfered. He found Olivia wedged against a window and blocked in her first class seat by a rather irritable fat man that didn't appreciate Wen's attempts to talk to Olivia from across the aisle. She didn't seem to even be aware that he was trying to get her attention or how rude her seatmate was being.

Wen was relieved that the flight would be such a short one, compared to the original cross country flight that they'd taken from Atlanta to get to LA. He had promised himself that they would talk when they landed, even if he had to drag Olivia off into a family bathroom to do it. Unfortunately his own family, his dad, his little sister Georgie, and Sydney had been waiting for them to deplane and had hauled him off home with a desperate glance back at Olivia where she stood being hugged by Gram. He thought he'd seen her look at him then but she dropped her gaze when he mimed using a phone. Sighing in frustration he'd allowed himself to be taken home only to discover that his dad was insisting that he spend some family time for the next week. Three barbeques, two trips to the beach and a visit to his aunt and uncle in the next county had left him desperate to escape his family. So given the opportunity he had taken it, willing to face the anger of his dad later.

As he'd promised he'd attempted to call Olivia, several times, over the last few days. She never answered. That silence caused him to hesitate to call her house directly, thinking that maybe she was angry with him. Instead he began sending texts occasionally, offering apologies, asking that she call him, asking if everything was okay. The silence really started to worry him. Maybe he had been imagining more into their relationship than there was. Maybe she was rethinking this new dimension to their friendship and was avoiding him until she could find a way out of it. Even the other band members had been strangely quiet, though he suspected one phone call that had arrived that very morning had been Stella. His dad had answered, talking politely for a moment before firmly hanging up. When he asked about the call, his dad's only reply was "telemarketer". Wen had distinctly heard his dad tell the caller, "I'll let him know." The isolation from his friends, especially his best friend was making him crazy.

Wen turned onto Olivia's street, moving faster to cover the last few blocks to her house. He really wanted to see her.

He missed Olivia. He missed her smile, her dimples, and the way the corners of her soft brown eyes crinkled when she laughed. He missed her laugh. He missed the warm hugs she sometimes shared with him. He missed the faint smell of green apples and soft roses that encircled him during those hugs. The scent was young and fresh while soft and romantic, all very Olivia. He missed the sharp wit, kind nature, and the quirky sense of humor she had. He missed seeing her trip while walking over smooth surfaces.

Since first grade, Wen had known Olivia as the quiet, awkward one that stood on the side watching everything that went on around her. He'd been aware of her all thru school, though he had never actually spent much time considering her. In sixth grade he'd stepped forward when in her usual scurry to avoid issues with some of the nastier students she'd tripped and fallen hard, books flying everywhere. While everyone else in the hall had laughed at her, he'd alternately felt concern for the girl and anger at the other students. To this day he kicked himself for not being more observant at that time, for not really seeing the warmth of her brown eyes, the spirit that hid in their depths. Instead he'd dated a couple of other girls from their class, with varying degrees of failure. All the while he remained distantly aware of Olivia standing outside the rest of the crowd.

That fateful afternoon in detention had been a wakeup call to him. Here was this quiet, unassuming, pretty girl that hid a quick wit and compelling voice. He jumped at the chance Stella had offered when she'd suggested that he visit Olivia and help her write some songs for the new group. That first afternoon he'd been very willing to move passed her embarrassment over her grandmother's friend comment, after all he'd already suspected as much since he had rarely seen her talking with anyone else in school and knew she spent most of her time alone reading. He had felt terrible for making her cry when he noticed her cat Nancy. "Wow, that's an old cat" popped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He was aware that her mom had passed away years before but curiosity about her home life had overcome his commonsense. Why didn't she live with her dad? He could see her trying to hide her tears and her voice broke to a bare whisper as she asked if they could just work on the music. Apparently her family life was as painful as he had felt his was at the time. He had gotten lost in the soft voice that sung in his ear that afternoon, caught up in her eyes after their voices had trailed away. "I like it when you smile" He'd meant it but didn't realize he'd said it aloud until she'd smiled shyly and dropped her gaze.

In a way he was glad the words had slipped out. The fact that she hadn't been horrified and her smile had gotten bigger he took as an invitation to keep visiting her. The more time he spent with her the more he wanted to know more of her. He learned quickly that she was clever with words and very book smart. He learned she had a sense of responsibility that seemed even stronger than her stage fright. Why else would she have even shown up for the Halloween Bash performance? She could easily have just stayed home and shut off her phone. To know that she'd done it for him left him speechless even now, six months later. Even the revelation about her father hadn't put him off. It wasn't her fault after all and with all the troubles she'd suffered stoically over the years had him realizing what a baby he had been and that she deserved good friends if anyone did.

Wen also had learned that Olivia had a quirky, goofy side when she was comfortable. That she was just as ready to joke around and join in the mayhem that was Lemonade Mouth in their downtime made her even more attractive to him. It was also not lost on him that while she had disliked the name "Soul Groove" as offered by Charlie way back in the naming of the group, she'd been willing to allow Stella to call the band "The Anarchists". She hadn't appeared to be saying it to appease their spit fire captain either, but was honestly willing to have that label. He had also noticed that as sharply dressed as Mo frequently was, as loud as Stella as outfits were, he was extremely aware that Olivia's cute skirts and dresses were short, very short, revealing much more leg than either of her fellow, more worldly, female band members. Not that Wen was complaining. Olivia was beautiful in every way possible. One of the first afternoons that they had been invited to Stella's house for an official pool party (instead of the impromptu jump in the pool after filming "More than a Band" with Stella's little brothers) Olivia had stepped out of the house in a modest pale blue bikini, looking gorgeous if somewhat self-conscious. Wen had had to turn away quickly, hoping no one had notice his embarrassing situation, finally jumping in the pool to regain some self-control. Thankfully she hadn't seemed to have noticed his behavior and the two began spending even more time together. A few months ago he'd stopped by one afternoon to visit Olivia only to find her and her grandmother preparing to spread a small delivery of mulch in their flower beds. He'd offered to help them, but by the time the evening band practice had rolled around he was feeling a little crispy and drained. Olivia had surprised him after practice with a bottle of aloe and a sport drink as a gift from her, and a quick kiss on the cheek "from Gram" as a thank you. As she'd stepped back from him through his surprise he'd seen her cheeks were bright pink while she'd smiled and dashed out the door, pausing to throw him a wave, and moving far more gracefully than he'd ever seen her move.

Wen suddenly found himself standing on the steps of Olivia's porch. He hesitated, trying to calm himself before approaching the door. Finally mentally prepared, he crossed the porch and knocked on the door. He wasn't prepared for Gram to answer his knock. Somehow it had never occurred to him that Olivia wouldn't always be the one standing on the other side of that door. Still, he plastered what he hoped was a happy smile on his face and entered the house when she invited him in.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Here's the third installation. I think its a much unused perspective so I thought I'd take the chance. I'm still in the process of finishing the 4th and final chapter. If all goes well tomorrow I will be able to publish it tomorrow evening. In the mean time I'm a bit curious- did anyone notice my little perspective trick between Olivia's pov and Wen's pov? If you saw it and thought it was a typo- it wasn't :-D There is another little twist in this one as compared to the last. They're small to see if you're paying attention. I'm sorry that this one is a bit shorter but- Enjoy_

_As always the disclaimer: I obviously have no copyrights to either the Lemonade Mouth movie or book. Those privileges belong to Disney and Mark Peter Hughs respectively and it's probably a good thing since I couldn't have written anything nearly as well. Adam and Bridgit are their own persons, and the credits can only go to them and their parents. I'd really like to know what their parents did while raising them to make them such wonderful people. lol I am a horrible poet and never wrote a song in my life so any music mentioned in this piece will have due credits mentioned in the story as well. If I'm doing something wrong here tell me and I'll fix it._

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><p>Brenda glanced worriedly out the window over the kitchen sink. She could see her granddaughter, Olivia, lying in the grass one arm draped over her eyes and the little torti kitten, Daisy perched on her belly. She'd been concerned for the girl since her return home from Los Angeles a few days ago. Olivia had been acting somewhat on edge for the last few days, jumping for the phone whenever it rang, and just generally seemed disappointed in everything. She hadn't said anything to her grandmother, but Brenda suspected she knew the cause.<p>

Brenda had watched the interview on television. She'd seen the look cross Olivia's young face, as if her heart and soul had just been crushed, when Wendell hadn't immediately supported her. She had hoped that the moment that he had confirmed publically that they were attracted to each other and had offered Olivia his hand that everything would work out. The little kiss Wen had pressed to the back of Olivia's hand had given the old lady the flutter of butterflies she hadn't felt in years. Not since her late husband and his romantic if silly gestures of love. But she'd noticed a distinct lack of tall, handsome redheads in their home since the band had returned and it left her wondering what happened after the cameras had stopped broadcasting. The other members of Lemonade Mouth had visited or called, singly or in pairs, thankfully bringing a smile and color back to her granddaughter's face but it would fade shortly after they said their goodbyes.

Brenda sincerely hoped it was just a misunderstanding and that the two would soon reunite. She sighed sadly, filled the kettle in her hand and turned to the stove.

She liked Wendell or Wen as he had politely requested she call him, as she in turn asked to be called Brenda or Gram. She'd never been one for formality especially with her beloved granddaughter and now with her friends. The moment she'd had been introduced to the young man she had been thrilled that Olivia finally was making friends. She was so excited to finally meet someone that called themself Olivia's friend that she had spoken without thought. She knew she had inadvertently embarrassed the poor girl during that first visit, she just couldn't help herself. She truly liked each member of the band, impressed when they had shown up looking for Olivia when dear Nancy had passed away and the girl had stayed home in mourning. She would often find herself laughing at their antics during subsequent visits and unplanned picnics in their backyard. Olivia's first sleep over at Stella's house a few months after meeting had Brenda cheering internally and vowing to not refuse any opportunity to let the girl socialize and flourish.

She hadn't even been upset when the young Stella's passion for justice had resulted in Olivia, as well the rest of the band, being detained for trespassing on school grounds. She herself vividly remembered the sixties and the protests and sit-ins she had participated in. She knew that Olivia, sometimes overly burdened with a sense of responsibility, was not a girl to normally participate in such things. Evidently, seeing a friend in trouble had brought out the fight in her. When Olivia had first told her about joining the band, Brenda had wondered just how far the girl would pursue it. Olivia had never been one to enjoy the spot light, or any sort of attention. Despite having been told repeated that the circumstance of her life was not a punishment for some perceived fault, Olivia had taken the blame on herself in a way, and dwelt in a protective shell, hiding herself from the world. Stella, Wen and the rest of Lemonade Mouth had cracked that shell and Brenda happily watched as the real Olivia emerged, if a bit reluctantly at times. The last eight months has produced a major and much welcomed change in her granddaughter.

It made her very happy to know others were seeing her Olivia as the beautiful, talented, young woman that she was. Brenda wished in a way that she could be as present at the bands performances as some of the other parents were, but with her limited financial resources and a need to maintain a comfortable home for her granddaughter, she found herself unable to turn down offers for her time and projects. Olivia had offered to help pay for some of the household bills with the proceeds from the short tours, performances, and appearances that came with the bands growing fame, but Brenda had refused. As delighted with Olivia's thoughtfulness as she was, she insisted that the money go into Olivia's college fund, with a small stipend for pocket money.

Brenda glanced out the window again, seeing Olivia pacing restlessly, and wondered if she should go out to try and talk to the frustrated girl. At that moment the whistle of the kettle pulled her attention back to the stove, where she poured the hot water over a jug of teabags, sugar, and lemons and placed it in the refrigerator. The familiar homey actions allowed her mind to return to the puzzle that was Wen and Olivia.

They were very comfortable together even if there were moments they seemed a little shy and awkward with each other. She knew they were just in the first stages of their relationship, a bond developing of a strong foundation put together from understanding and friendship. At first she had been startled when he began calling and visiting as often as he did, but as she quietly observed them together she understood the truth of his visits and invitations, and welcomed him warmly. He frequently spent time chatting amiably with her, as natural as chatting with a girl his own age. The sincerity of his interest in her crafting and graphics business pleased her, even sometimes offering suggestions for situations… a contemporary teenage boy's invitation for a birthday party and other print decorations had been outside her and Olivia's experience and she had enjoyed his perspective on the upcoming event. She had been surprised and grateful when he had shown up to visit one afternoon and offered to help them spread mulch in the flower beds, developing what had promised to be a painful sunburn in the process. She had sent Olivia to band practice that evening with a bottle of aloe for him and the girl had returned later wearing a silly grin that lasted all weekend. When asked what it the grin was for, she simply said, "Wen says thank you." The last evening before the band had flown off Boston for the start of their east coast tour, Wen had joined them for dinner at the house and stayed to watch a movie while Brenda had removed herself to the den to finish another quilt she was working on. She'd peeked in on them at one point when she'd headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea and found them sitting closely together laughing at some sitcom, Wen's arm stretched across the back of the couch toying with a lock of Olivia's hair that seemed to have fallen across his hand. She smiled at the memory of that moment and all the promise of the two of them together and individually.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the front door. When she answered it she found herself suddenly relieved to find Wen standing there looking desperate and hopeful.

"Hello, Gram," he said. He had recently begun to use Olivia's pet name for her and she was pleased to find him still using it. "Is Olivia home?"

"Why, hello Wen! Yes she is. Come thru," Brenda stepped aside to allow him to enter. He waited politely in the hall as she shut the door. "She's in the backyard. She's seemed so sad and stressed since you all returned from your trip." She stopped herself abruptly, wondering if she was speaking out of turn.

Wen's tight smile faded and he looked worried. "Do you think I could speak with her?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh yes. Please do. She won't tell me anything but that she's fine." She led him to the back door, though he knew the way very well by this point. She watched briefly as he stepped outside, seeing him pause to watch Olivia dancing around the lawn, her back to the house, her voice drifting faintly in across the evening. Brenda sighed and left the teens to sort out their relationship in private.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Ok, here is the 4th, and sadly, final chapter. I'm nervous. I really hope you like it. _

_Oh before I forget, I might make a few minor changes to the first two chapters. a couple of small additions. I haven't decided so for now I'm leaving this story as incomplete though this is absolutely the last real chapter. I'll add a quick flash back mention for ch 5 IF changes are made to give you a heads up._

_As before, my personal disclaimer: I obviously have no copyrights to either the Lemonade Mouth movie or book. Those privileges belong to Disney and Mark Peter Hughs respectively and it's probably a good thing since I couldn't have written anything nearly as well. Adam and Bridgit are their own persons, and the credits can only go to them and their parents. J I am a horrible poet and never wrote a song in my life so any music mentioned in this piece will have due credits mentioned in the story as well. If I'm doing something wrong here tell me and I'll fix it. Oh, before I forget, while I do own an Apple iPod (and an iPhone) I don't have the Trademark rights, though my daughter does own a share of Apple -D_

* * *

><p>'Uh-oh, Extraordinary?' Wen thought, pausing in his approach across the back lawn to watch Olivia dancing barefooted, her back to him, her hips rolling in time with the music only she could hear, her arms and head moving around, rocking out as she sang:<p>

"_You may not believe in me_

_But I believe in you_

_So I still take the trash out_

_Does that make me too normal for you?_

_So dig a little deeper, cause_

_You still don't get it yet_

_See me lickin' my lips, need a primitive fix_

_And I'll make, I'll make you love me!_

Wen was torn between amusement and worry. The last time he'd caught her singing this song, she was alone in a elevator when the doors opened for him to see and she'd spent a few days afterward acting cool and distant with him, though she never told him why. Mo had suggested that perhaps it was the company he had been seen with earlier that day. That also puzzled Wen since he couldn't think who she was referring to. Just a normal cd signing that they had all attended. Well there had been this girl that had asked him to sign her shirt, and sat and chatted with him for a little while… oh.

Still, watching Olivia's performance couldn't help but bring a smile to his face. The words "rhino on roller skates" popped unbidden into his mind, Olivia's own self-depreciation of her dancing talents not his. He thought it was cute and that she was getting better. Even from behind and not having the advantage of seeing the full effect, Wen had to admire her choice of attire on that hot afternoon. Very "girl next door", the way he liked her best. She wore a lacy yellow-gold cami (all that time on the road with three girls had quickly taught him what those popular little tops were called), a pair of light grey cargo shorts and a deep blue ribbon woven through the braid into which she'd twisted her long blonde mane. That last touch made him smile slightly more, his favorite color, wound thru her hair.

_I am extraordinary, if you'd ever get to know me_

_I am extraordinary, I am just your ordinary_

_Average every day sane psycho_

_Supergoddess_

_Average every day sane psycho_

_Supergoddess_

_See me jump through hoops for you_

_You stand there watching me performing_

_What exactly do you do?_

_Have you ever thought it's you that's boring?_

_Who the hell are you?"_

Wen stepped forward at that moment, closing the distance between him and Olivia, reaching out to touch her just as she turned around in her wild dance, stumbling into him in her surprise, his hands caught her shoulders to steady her.

"Liz Phair? Again? I must be in serious trouble," he gave her a sad smile.

"WEN! Gosh," Olivia gulped in surprise and stepped back from him, pulling the earbuds from her ears. "You startled me." Catching her breath she realized he'd seen her unchoreographed dancing, again. Struggling to not blush, after all he'd caught her crazy dancing in the hotel elevator a few months before, the night after that particularly irritating cd signing; she asked doubtfully, "What are you doing here?"

Wen nodded slightly to himself, 'yup there it is, the coolness between us' he though. He sighed in frustration. "I wanted to see you. I thought we could talk."

Olivia felt parts inside of her crumbling but refused to let it show. She felt the best thing would be to appear strong, and then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much when it was over. "Oh." She dropped her gaze a moment mustering her strength, "Uh- I guess we should." She stood watching him, waiting, not knowing if she should start the conversation and apologize or wait for him to speak first.

He solved her dilemma for her, "I tried calling you a couple of times. I sent you some texts too. You didn't answer." He was nervous and trying not to sound needy or accusatory. Seeing her standing there looking shut off from him scared him.

"I dropped my cellphone on the plane. I haven't had it since the flight home. Stella offered to get it for me since she had to go pick up a piece of her luggage that got left behind too, I just haven't seen her yet." Olivia mentally kicked herself. She was starting to babble again. "You could have called the house phone," she pointed out quietly.

"I thought you were angry with me," he replied beginning to register what she had just said. "You don't have your phone?"

"I'm not angry with you," she said puzzled. "I thought you were avoiding me."

A grin suddenly appeared on Wen's face and stepped forward to wrap her in a hug, lifting her off the ground for a moment before releasing her. "I wouldn't do that to you. My dad wanted me to spend some family time as soon as we got home. We were gone for so long and with all the other public events already planned, he thought it would be healthy to be a 'normal teenager' for a while."

"Oh," his words were slowly thawing her brain, though she didn't let herself hope. Not just yet. "I thought you might be upset with me after what I did. I mean with the interview and Mo and Scott."

"Why would I be upset with you? You're _my_ girl, after all," He paused, tilting his head a little a smirk pulling at the side of his mouth. "Unless you really are seeing Scott on the side?"

The twitch of his lips was very distracting to Olivia, though she heard the slightly nervous tone in his words, "Oh NO! There isn't anyone. Um- I mean- anyone else. Be-besides you." Saying those things to him, with him standing so close, was making her stutter nervously. She dropped her gaze to her iPod and couldn't look up again. God, he must think she was crazy. "I just thought that, since you hadn't really said anything before and you seemed irritated after the "Music Scene" interview, I don't know, maybe I misunderstood, um, us." She could feel the burning in her throat again as she uttered the words. Embarrassment was making her voice husky and weak.

Wen stared at her a moment, words of warning from she-tiger Mo just after Christmas replayed in his head, _"Don't hurt her, Wendell. I've seen the way she looks at you."_ Hurting Olivia was the farthest thing from his mind, but maybe in his caution he had done it accidentally. "Hey," He bent his knees and cocked his head trying to see her eyes, "you thought I was irritated? I wasn't. In shock maybe but never irritated. Especially never with you over that." When she refused to look up he sighed and took her hands, "Come 'ere." He led her to the little stone wall around one of the flower beds and sat her down on it. "I guess I should have said something to you a while ago. But I guess I was afraid to." When she still didn't look at him, he knelt in front of her, finally making eye contact with the obviously distraught girl. She didn't say anything but she didn't drop her gaze again. "Honestly I like us the way we are. Natural, comfortable, no pressure. I don't want us to change. I want things to continue to happen naturally. We shouldn't be forced into a situation."

"But I guess I did just that. I forced your hand, very publicly," Olivia said weakly. She could feel the cold spots in her heart starting to warm a little at his words.

"Not really," she raised an eyebrow at him. "Ok maybe, but you were helping out Mo and Scott. Nothing says we HAVE to do anything differently." He sighed again, taking one of her hands in his and resting it on her knee, "Look, I watched my parents' marriage fall apart and I've had friends that I ended up losing because our relationships changed. You know Floey and Azra, right?" he asked.

"Yes," her clipped tone made him stare at her a moment, realization dawning quickly.

"How long has it been, Olivia?"

She didn't answer right away. She could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks at her secret being revealed, "Since that afternoon in 6th grade," she murmured wishing she could look away from Wen's soft green scrutiny.

He smiled crookedly at her, "It's been awhile, then" She nodded, a slight smile pulling at the corners of her mouth and making his heart jump for a second. God that smile! "My point is that things got ruined between them and me. We all stopped being friends when Azra and I broke up," He watched Olivia's smile slip a little so he rushed into his next statement; "You are an amazing person! It would kill me if you and I stopped being friends. I don't like it at all when you don't talk to me or when I can't be near you. Not like in school when I know I get to sit next to you at lunch as soon as it comes around or I know when we'll have the next period together. But like these last few days when you weren't even a guaranteed visit or phone call, when I couldn't even hear your voice on the phone." He took a deep breath steeling himself to get the next words out, "Maybe those others," he waved his free hand vaguely behind him, 'weren't really that important, but I feel like we were meant to be. Together."

The last word had a forever ring to it that caught Olivia by surprise, "Really?" She could feel her smile getting bigger, her heart beating a little more comfortably in her chest.

"Do you want to hear what I've been listening to the last few days? It's a poor substitute for you but it was all I had," he took her iPod gently from her lose grip and to her surprise started searching it. He looked at her sheepishly, "I borrowed this a couple of weeks ago. Sorry I didn't ask but I was hoping I could surprise you. Did you notice it missing?"

"Yeah, I thought I had lost it. I even asked the hotel housekeeping if it had accidentally been picked up in the bed sheets. But it reappeared and I thought maybe I was just imagining I'd lost it."

"Well, no that was me. Sorry. I told the chamber maid that you forgot something in your room and she let me in to get 'it' for you. I returned it the next day when we were all in your room hanging out. I'm sorry that you noticed. I was kind of hoping you'd stumble on this surprise when I was nearby so I could see your reaction. I hope you like it." He handed her the ear buds, turned the volume down a little and pressed play.

Olivia felt her heart leap when her own voice began in her ears:

"_When the mellow moon begins to beam,__  
><em>_Ev'ry night I dream a little dream,__  
><em>_And of course Prince Charming is the theme,__  
><em>_The he for me.__  
><em>_Although I realize as well as you__  
><em>_It is seldom that a dream comes true,__  
><em>_To me it's clear__  
><em>_That he'll appear._

She remembered singing this one day. Just after Christmas she and Wen had been in the new music hall after practice. He was messing around on the piano while he waited for his dad to pick him up after school. She was waiting with him to keep him company. He's begun playing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, a particular favorite for both of them before playing a few bars of another Gershwin piece. "Do you know this one?" he'd asked grinning. When she'd nodded he'd gotten up, moved off stage, and returned with a mic. He handed her the microphone before starting the second piece from the beginning. She'd played along, as the diva performing her solo despite being overly aware of the lyrical meaning of the song.

But this version was just her voice backed by a bluesy drumbeat, pounding in soft rhythm to her voice;

_"Someday he'll come along,__  
><em>_The man I love__  
><em>_And he'll be big and strong,__  
><em>_The man I love__  
><em>_And when he comes my way__  
><em>_I'll do my best to make him stay._

_*How oft when thou, my music, music play'st,_

_Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds_

_With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st_

_The wiry concord that mine ear confounds*,_

Olivia's breath caught as Wen's voice chatted slowly, uttering her favorite sonnet. She stared at him is complete astonishment as his rap intermingled with the husky contralto of her own voice.

_He'll look at me and smile__  
><em>_I'll understand ;__  
><em>_And in a little while,__  
><em>_He'll take my hand ;__  
><em>_And though it seems absurd,__  
><em>_I know we both won't say a word_

_*Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,_

_To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,_

_Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,_

_At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand!*_

_Maybe I shall meet him Sunday__  
><em>_Maybe Monday, maybe not;__  
><em>_Still I'm sure to meet him one day__  
><em>_Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day_

_*To be so tickled, they would change their state_

_And situation with those dancing chips,_

_O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,_

_Making dead wood more bless'd than living lips.*_

_He'll build a little home__  
><em>_Just meant for two,__  
><em>_From which I'll never roam,__  
><em>_Who would - would you ?__  
><em>_And so all else above__  
><em>_I'm waiting for the man I love._

_*Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,_

_Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss._

_(repeat)_

_Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,_

_Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.*_

"Wen, I-I don't know what to say," she could feel her heart thundering in her chest, the goose bumps on her skin. "That was beautiful. How did you-"

"Lyle and Charlie. They haven't actually heard the whole thing or know what I did exactly. Lyle helped me isolate your voice from the recording I made that day," he looked at her as if asking if she remembered to which she nodded quickly, "Sorry I was sneaky about that too, " She just grinned at him too happy to care how he sneakily had done it. "Then I asked Charlie to lay a beat to the song but added some extra bars between verses. Then I mashed it with the sonnet overlaid on the empty bars."

She continued to stare at him, overjoyed that he had noticed how well they melded together and had gone to so much effort to prove it. Smiling he took both her hands in his and kissed her finger tips, all the while keeping he eyes on hers as if to say, 'for now.' "So are we good?" He asked.

"We're great," she replied pushing off the stone wall to kneel in front of him and wrap her arms around his chest. Happy and content knowing where things stood with them.

Wen took a deep breath and let it out as a happy sigh, folding his long arms around Olivia's shoulders, resting his cheek on top of her head, "Perfect."

And it was, they could both feel it. The potential of themselves, the promise of their future just waiting for the right, natural time.

_Epilogue:_

Two days later Olivia had a brief visit from Stella, who smiling mysteriously handed over Olivia's cell phone. "You might want to check your messages," she said before waving and heading back out the door.

Puzzled Olivia looked at her phone, 7 phone messages and 28 texts were waiting for her. All from Wen. Everyone one dated from before two days ago. Except one text from 10 minutes before. "I LOVE MY GIRL" jumped out at her. She quickly sent a message back, "ur crazy :-) 3" Smiling foolishly she skipped back to the kitchen to help her Gram, all the while humming her new favorite song quietly to herself.

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><p><em>AFN: So there it is. Don't hate me! lol I know I didn't give you all that you probably wanted (believe me I want it too) but I just don't think the time was quite right for them. I'm sure it will be soon. :-D_

_By the way, if you want to hear a couple of great versions to the song "Olivia" was recorded singing go to you tube and search Linda Ronstadt and "The Man I Love" its a very old song by George and Ira Gershwin in the public domain, though this version was in the TV show "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" and another version that is more bluesy and slightly faster by Carol Weisman. Sonnet 128 (marked by *_*) is by Shakespeare and I thought very appropriate for the Olivia and Wen. The blending of the two works was inspired by listening to "Killing me softly with his song" by the Fugees._

_My apologies for all the typos in the original copy of this chapter, I hope I got them all this time. Also, I failed to mention one other thing. I don't really think Bridgit dances like a rhino on roller-skates, I once described my own grace as a cow on roller-skates and after seeing Bridgit's umm- near misses in the movie (Breakthru she backs into the stairs- something I have done, though I fell) I thought I would share the description with Olivia._

_I'd love to thanks to LaLaLaGurl, SmilesMC, RandomRandoms14, disasterousperfection, Bubblelina15, tilvy19-it, and tomboy2012 for such positive reviews for the previous chapters. You've all made my last few days and have encouraged me to write a few more shorts._


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